Tman wrote:

seat, unless I happen to know one of the crew. Anyone disagree?
Two

At least on a US based scheduled carrier, you can't usually there simply
by knowing the crew.

In the last year or two, "Flying" author Dick Karl did a ride-along with
fellow "Flying" author Les Abend, on one of Capt. Abend's trips. The
pass he needed required nearly an act of Congress to get, but it was
possible.

Once upon a time, Air Traffic Controllers were allowed to ride in the
jumpseat with proper FAA credentials. From what I understand, even that
is no longer allowed.

I've hitched rides on Part 135 shared charters by knowing the crew, but
the other passengers thought I was another paying customer, and there is
no FAA reg forbidding a free passenger.

When I was a kid in the 70's, a neighbor who flew for American took me
outside on the ramp to walk around parked aircraft @ JFK. We even got
to walk up the external Jetway stairs to tour the planes. It's too bad
there's pretty much no way to do casual stuff like that anymore.